Cherry Mobile Defender Initial Review: A Mountain Man’s Best Friend

Cherry Mobile Defender Initial Review: A Mountain Man’s Best Friend

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Aside from Taiji, that e-ink equipped smartphone of Cherry Mobile, we got to take a look at another upcoming smartphone from the local brand today: the Defender. The Defender is a supposedly tough, rugged smartphone that’s aimed at people who live active lifestyles. It’s a life-proof phone that’s built to take all the abuses that you can throw at it.

Cherry Mobile Defender Specifications

  • 2.0GHz MediaTek Helio P10 processor
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 32GB of expandable storage (Up to 32GB)
  • 4.7-inch HD IPS Display; 1280×720 resolution
  • 18-megapixel rear camera
  • 8-megapixel front camera
  • Dual SIM, LTE
  • GPS, GLONASS
  • IP68 Certified
  • 4200mAh battery
  • Android Marshmallow 6.0
  • Php 9,999

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Initial Impressions: A Phone That’s Built Like a Tank

If there’s one thing that all rugged phones share, it’s bulkiness. It’s not surprising – to be able to adequately protect the delicate innards of the phone, you’ll need to put as much metal, rubber and plastic between it and the elements. As a result, the 4.7-inch phone is roughly the size of a 5.5-inch phone, and is as thick as Nokia phones of yore.

And just like those (almost) indestructible products from the Nords, the Defender is huge. It has a physical dimensions of 152 x 81 x 16.6mm, and has the ergonomics of a brick. The frame is made out of aluminum, and is complimented by big rubber bumpers on the corners of the device.

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Turn the phone over and you’ll see the rear of the device that’s similarly protected by hard rubber. The SIM card and microSD expansion slot is contained right behind that Cherry logo, though you’ll have to break out precision screws to access that little orifice.

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The left side of the phone features a camera shortcut key, SOS button that sends a distress text or call to a predetermined contact for 30 minutes straight and the push to talk key. On the right of the phone sits the power and volume buttons.

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The top of the phone is the 3.5mm jack while the USB port is located on the bottom. Both ports will need to be completely free of dust or debris for the water resistance to work – if the seals are compromised, then water could potentially enter the phone that way.

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The Cherry Mobile Defender is IP68 rated, meaning that if the seals are put on correctly the phone should be able to withstand being submerged in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.

We have a few concerns about the phone’s toughness though. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 which is fine and dandy for normal use. But it’ll shatter much like any other screen if the Defender hits sharp objects like rocks at the right angle – something to keep in mind while you’re using the phone. We would have liked it more if the phone used a shatter-proof display like the Motorola Droid Turbo 2. The same concerns with the front panel extends to the protecton for the rear camera module as well.

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The Defender has a 4.7-inch HD IPS display, along with MediaTek’s Helio P10 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. Pair that with the massive 4200mAH battery, and you’re looking at a phone that’s capable of going the distance, which is important for a phone that’s built of the outdoors.

That’s pretty much it for the Defender today. Once Cherry Mobile sends a review device, we’ll be conducting a full review as well as taking a video of just how far you can take the phone before it breaks.

The Cherry Mobile Defender is priced at Php 9,999.

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